The Echo Observer

Everyone loves a good coffee morning once in a while, whether its for the coffee, the raffle, the cakes or the socialising; you will normally find a large variety of people at these kinds of events. The time for coffee mornings and fundraisers has arrived! With many coffee mornings going in Elgin, let alone other places in the area how can anyone possibly attend all of them. Many coffee mornings, soup and sweets are advertised all over town so if word of mouth is how you normally hear, there are far easier ways. A list had been compiled below to help aid in discovery and add (if you're a tad like me) a little bit of activity to your day. Your local library, yes obvious indeed.... or is it? The library is not just for use of computers and the borrowing of books, and I don't mean in recent years it has diversified into the lending of DVD's, audio books and local eventry knowledge. As many people use the library, not only is it word of mouth but quite often flyer...

Starting the day with enthusiasm despite the growing grey sky above! At the Lossiemouth Community Centre on Sunday the 14th of May, Crafters from over the moray area attended the event their stalls set up within one of the sports halls at the high school. From Soap to handmade silver jewellery there was a large variety of crafts. Many cakes and bakes were donated to help with fundraising. They also had a small tent outside and next to it was the hot food stall where a hog roast was done from 11 onwards for the day. The event ended at 1. As the day went on it brightened supplying periods of the radiant sun which were intermittent between torrential rain. Many of the crafters had been crafting for over 3 to 4 years. Their skills honed and true to their craft. Shark Bait and Sprocket was a crafter that had only started collecting the and using the sea glass and sea pottery to create beautiful pieces of art just last year. And for such a short time with the trade, they h...

Is this down to careless managers or carefree drivers? With prices on the rise, how can the bus station justify the tardiness of their vehicles? The people needing or relying on the transport available, arriving only to find delay or cancellation impeach ingredients work or adjoining services. Although only mentioned recently the buses have been in a down spiral for months going on years. From missing people out when late and not stopping to not turning up at all. On countless occasions, the bus has failed to pull through. You hurry for a bus and what do you get? Sore legs standing and waiting. With many people relying on their services why is there no emphasis on their schedules to be on time? With all the rage it is not always there fault. Many times when on the buses with the baggage areas below and the steps, it can take them up to 25 minutes to help a wheelchaired passenger on. Perhaps they are out of practice or perhaps it is the old machinery installed in the bus. ...

Who said Dreams don't come true? His artistic flare had been put on the back burner, now his talent is finding the light as Daniel Fairbairn, recently redundant from the oil industry, took a chance and has his first exhibition. His paintings are in acrylic paint and are on a range of canvases. His work is also printed onto table mats, coasters and cards. Daniel started painting when he was round about 7 years old and continued from there, his school choices reflected his talent, his goal to be an artist. Later on, he moved to more casual jobs his talent being benched for his spare time. Later on, after that Daniel started working within the oil industry for 15 years until being made redundant almost a year ago. With art pieces both privately owned and some in the Royal Infirmary in Aberdeen it's a real wonder how this person has stayed out of the light for so long. Though between working and having a family time is hard pressed and not easy to find. So he wo...

A dram of spirit in every glass! Kickstarted the right way. A Highland Celebration of heritage and history. A dram in each hand and a hearty smile. The whisky festival began with a bang! Whisky tours on for most distilleries for the festival almost every hour, some of the more specialised tours were booked far before Christmas and were twice a day. Along with some art exhibitions. With 91 thousand pounds worth of tickets being sold within the first hour of sales, it was obvious that the festival would have plenty of attention. With people coming from over 20 different countries to participate in Tastings to the local events. On Thursday, Aberlour was wet and rainy the spirits of those around the complete opposite.  With the scout Hall being used for the sale of whisky trinkets, whisky and other items given by distilleries the adventure started. Already packed in the morning barely 10 minutes in. The light reflected on tasting glasses, whiskies, panels of fired wood f...